Beef Stew

After some recent experiments, I decided to try building a classic beef stew. This and the lamb bean stew are variations on a theme, and should be approached as such.

I really wanted a fairly standard American beef stew; I’d probably also add potatoes, since they’ll come out tender as well.

Ingredients

2 lbs beef roast, cubed to about an inch
1 cup white beans, sorted, rinsed, soaked overnight (I used Rancho Gordo Cassoulet beans)
2 onions
3 carrots
3 stalks celery
several cloves garlic, minced
italian seasonings, paprika, salt, black pepper, bay leaf
flour for beef
1 cup red wine
beef better than boullion
starch for thickening after

Preparation

Cube vegetables and beef, stripping off any large pieces of fat. If there’s a fat cap on your roast, don’t toss it! Render out that tallow for the cooking grease, as you prepare your cast iron for sautéeing the vegetables and browning the beef. Pour off the grease, leaving enough for sautéeing vegetables.
Set up a pressure cooker, and put drained beans, 1½ cups beef stock, 1 cup red wine, seasonings in.
Once you’ve sautéed the vegetables, add them to the pressure cooker, and re-grease the pan. If you didn’t render enough grease to have some left over here, add olive oil. Once the pan’s up to temp, add the beef. Let it brown for a few moments, before sprinkling on flour, salt, and pepper; stir to coat, and produce a roux. Add the beef and the roux to the pressure cooker, scraping the pan down.
Seal the pressure cooker and cook on high, or “more; high” if your unit has both options. 15 minutes natural release; after 15 minutes, flip the release valve.
After the stew’s cooked, ensure the beans are tender. The beef will be almost certainly be tender. Take some broth in a bowl, add some water, and stir in corn starch for thickening; we’re aiming for a nice thick consistency.

Notes

This almost certainly works with lamb too, but the seasonings might need adjustment.